The summer sun had ascended high into the sky when Dendro the Raider finally signaled for the small group to halt. Since taking a southern road out of Castle City, he had assumed a swift pace into Faron Field, angling the group eastwards towards their ultimate destination. The road which he had taken was quite familiar, for he and the Raiders had employed it more than once en route to the chief Hylian city, and Dendro could have easily navigated it under the cloak of darkness, as he had done on many other occasions. However, the instructions of his new patron had been specific, and, given the assistance Duke Rhylzynar had provided in the dungeon, Dendro had not been at all disposed to dispute the point.

So, sticky with perspiration, Dendro had foregone a halt until the group had reached a particularly densely forested area of the Plain, one in which they could find both shade and seclusion until dusk descended over the landscape. Brushing aside the auburn hair which stuck to his forehead, Dendro swung his right leg over the pommel of the saddle and dropped to the ground. The bay stallion, thrilled to receive a respite, promptly shook his dark neck, spattering the Raider with gobs of alabaster foam.

"Thanks," muttered the outlaw, shooting Viczar a glare before moving to assist the other members of the group. Of the three he and the nobleman had liberated, the Rito, it seemed, had been subjected to the more beastial torture. It was to be expected, of course, Dendro reminded himself, for Raijiv Ironfeathers, or Feathers as the Raiders knew him, represented Dendro's chief lieutenant, his experienced second-in-command who had been with the guild of brigands since it had first been established over a decade earlier. The other two men, while seasoned bandits, had apparently not warranted the same level of attention as Feathers, from whom the jailers had obviously wanted to extract a significant amount of information.

"Be' this bea's sittin' in tha' cell," remarked Dendro as he helped Feathers down from the horse which had been given to Kade.

The gaunt Rito, his arms hanging limply at his sides, observed Dendro through his swollen eyes, which accompanied his discolored face. He did not, however, appear seriously injured, even if his weakened condition did provide some cause for concern on the part of Dendro. But as he spoke, Dendro found himself reminded of why he had precipitated his infiltration into the dungeon. "Better that than the Prison," he remarked.

The other three, untacking their respective horses, paused, glancing back to Dendro.

"Duzzy and the others?" Kade asked, verbalizing the curiosity of the other two men in the question.

"Weeks," replied the Rito, and Kade immediately winced.

A curse rolled forth from behind Dendro's clenched teeth, for he was now reconsidering the decision he had made at the opposite end of the Field, one which had led him to the dungeon instead of the Prison. Of course, he would not have been in a position to accomplish anything at that moment, but hindsight was irrelevant to Dendro. Of far more concern was the path immediately before them, and the beasts which would likely visit once twilight fell, and the reception which would await them once they returned to their lair.

The last, naturally, represented the strongest incentive for Dendro to hasten, for he could easily imagine the entertainment he would find, and a smirk broke over his weathered features.

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Riding the day, every day into sunsetFinding the way back homeOnce upon a night we'll wake to the carnival of lifeThe beauty of this ride ahead, such an incredible highIt's hard to light a candle easy to curse the dark insteadThis moment, the dawn of humanityLast ride of the day!Nightwish

Dendro the Raider, leaning his weight back against one of the largest trees in the vicinity, smirked when he glanced over at Kade. The Hylian had purposefully not questioned the intent of Dendro, and therefore the guild as a hold, and overlooked the magnitude of the task before them. Since its completion a little over a year previous, the Desert Prison and its consort of deadly Amazon guards had proved itself impenetrable to any attempt to sabotage it. Rumors on the street suggested that one of the more important inmates had managed to escape, but Dendro did not intend to put any credence in those rumors whatsoever. He, leader of the Red Raiders, would be the one to shatter the invincible reputation of the fortress.

"Soon as Feather's go' 'is stren'th," he answered.

Kade, turning a glance over his right shoulder at the sleeping Rito, grinned. The wait, it seemed, would not be long. Though the oldest member of the organization, Feathers had never lacked in physical stamina, and the Hylian saw no legitimate reason to suspect that he would follow that same trend. "I'd give anythin' to see Zelda's face when she finds out wha' we've done."

This time, it was Dendro's turn to sneer. "Doub' tha' ole crone's 'ear' coul' take the surprise," he responded.

"Be' Raz would pay ya all the more for tha'," continued Kade with a chuckle, "Save him the trouble of doin' it 'imself."

Dendro snorted in amusement, for he had also not failed to recognize the ambitions of the Red Raiders' new patron. It was not a detriment, he knew, but rather a potential advantage, as the Duke Daast would have need of the brigands for some time to come, as those aiming for the highest position available often left more than a few enemies in their wake. And those opponents, Dendro knew, all carried a significant price on their heads.

"Merchants?"

Dendro, his mind removed from the monetary fantasies which it had indulged, abruptly looked over at Kade. The Hylian, his grey eyes focused in the distance, had clearly located something. Walking forward from where he had been standing sentry, Dendro joined Kade and then gazed into the distance, bringing up his left hand to obscure the sun. Several leagues away, as the Hylian had said, he detected movement, yet he could not be certain. Given the time of day and the season, he would not have altogether expected caravan travel, yet it was not entirely possible.

Nevertheless, Dendro put a hand to the hilt of one of his dastardly blades as he stepped forward, skirting the edge of the shade provide by the small copse of trees. With a glance over his shoulder at the other three, Dendro then indicated the nearest tree to Kade before starting to climb it himself, intending to secure a better vantage point.

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Riding the day, every day into sunsetFinding the way back homeOnce upon a night we'll wake to the carnival of lifeThe beauty of this ride ahead, such an incredible highIt's hard to light a candle easy to curse the dark insteadThis moment, the dawn of humanityLast ride of the day!Nightwish

Rare was the occasion when Dendro the Raider ever questioned one of his own actions. As he could not commit a mistake, it was thus errant for him to even consider any decision that he made to be incorrect. And yet, as he heaved himself onto one of the lower branches of the old tree, Dendro could think of nothing else aside from his own stupidity and silently curse himself for the road that he had taken.

Above everything else, Dendro the Raider abhorred heights.

As he ascended higher, though he was hardly more than ten feet above the ground, Dendro felt the rough bark of the ancient arbor grow slick beneath his calloused hands. His stomach had contorted weirdly, threatening to force bile into his throat, and his breaths no longer held depth. Panic had crept into his mind, but Dendro tried to force it away and reminded himself of both his goal and his hard-won reputation.

"Caravan," Kade clarified, "They've definitely go' a wagon with 'em."

Glancing upwards, Dendro fought through his sudden inability to inhale and managed a nod. At least a dozen feet above him, Kade stood precariously perched on several thin branches, his feet splayed wide to distribute his weight evenly. The Hylian had a glass pressed to his left eye and was peering through a gap in the foliage, gazing off to the south in the direction which he had first seen the group.

"'Ow many?" Dendro asked, trying to keep his voice, which sounded uncharacteristically small at this moment, from sliding up an octave.

The opportunity was far too easy for Kade to ignore. Lowering the glass, he looked down at Dendro and flashed a grin. "Why don' you come up 'ere and see for yerself?"

A scowl immediately darkened the face of the outlaw, and an expletive rolled from between his clenched teeth, eliciting a wider sneer from the Hylian. "Jus' tell me 'ow many ye be seein'."

Laughing, Kade took up the glass once more and looked out across Faron as the entire group emerged over a knoll. "Three wagons, maybe five mounted warriors and seven on foot. Looks like the came from Ordon."

"'Less they figured ou' 'ow ta learn 'em Bublins somethin'," Dendro muttered, slowly shifting his weight downward. With the identity of the caravan revealed, the Raider no longer saw cause to torment himself and so carefully descended from the tree.

Kade made no motion to follow, other than to readjust his position as he continued to observe the group.

"S'ay 'ere." Dendro, abruptly deciding on his own course, did not wait for a response and, in defiance of his own instructions, abandoned the camouflage and started across the plain on foot.

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Riding the day, every day into sunsetFinding the way back homeOnce upon a night we'll wake to the carnival of lifeThe beauty of this ride ahead, such an incredible highIt's hard to light a candle easy to curse the dark insteadThis moment, the dawn of humanityLast ride of the day!Nightwish

In most situations, Dendro the Raider would not have hesitated to announce his presence to the caravan, particularly one so lacking in both size and proper protection. Yet even the rakish outlaw possessed some capacity for tact, especially when the lives of his comrades were jeopardized, and so he had dropped to his stomach, inching his way to the top of a grassy knoll just to the northeast of the group of merchants. It had taken him the better part of half an hour, moving briskly, to reach the group, and now, with his auburn head raised just enough to gage the caravan, he could see that Kade's observations had indeed been correct.

Three covered wagons, each pulled by two stout draft horses, lumbered across Faron Field, running parallel to the earthen road which bisected the province. They had not, Dendro noted, actually plotted their course along the road itself; obviously their wares were sensitive to the holes and divots which characterized the path. To Dendro, that signaled that the group bore more than wool, which of course was the chief export of Ordon. Yet if the goods held significant value, then the chief merchant, whom the Raider surmised road beside the lead wagon, had been far too frugal to spare any pittance on hired protection.

Seven men, five of whom carried spears, surrounded the trio of wagons. All were lightly armored, and, aside from the ones who boasted both a sword and a shield, appeared unused to the unwieldy weapon which they held. The five riders who flanked the footmen appeared slightly more formidable, at least they seemed to have more experience with combat, and Dendro felt his sea-colored eyes drawn to the man who rode at the head of the procession on a large roan mare. A a large, double-sidded ax was strapped to his back; obviously this man alone of the contingent had been hired for his blades.

What an interesting situation. How am I supposed to let this just waltz past me? A grin broke over the features of Dendro the Raider, but only until the criminal could remind himself of his present circumstances. Within a few hours, his small group, of whom only two were currently physically fit, and even Kade was still recovering from his own injury, would have to take to the road once more. Even in the face of Dendro's insatiable lust for disrupting caravans, for increasing his infamous reputation, he still knew when to exercise prudence. So carefully, lest he be detected, Dendro pushed himself down the incline.

But before he could clamber to his feet, a chorus of howls shattered the peaceful air that encompassed Faron. All at once, Dendro found himself reminded of the perils of traveling in this area, yet, as he reached for his blades, he found himself surprised that a throng of Bublins would venture an attack in broad daylight over such exposed ground. Yet as he flipped onto his back, Dendro beheld dozens of the odious, barbaric creatures descending upon the caravan from the south.

Dendro, swearing as he jumped to his feet, did not hesitate. Biting his upper lip, he forced air through the slight gap between his front teeth and whistled sharply, both to catch the notice of the creatures and summon Viczar. The defenders of the caravan, having recognized the danger, had abruptly circled back, coalescing into a tight, circular defensive formation, and stood to meet the Bublin charge.

Riding the day, every day into sunsetFinding the way back homeOnce upon a night we'll wake to the carnival of lifeThe beauty of this ride ahead, such an incredible highIt's hard to light a candle easy to curse the dark insteadThis moment, the dawn of humanityLast ride of the day!Nightwish

Spinning to his left, Dendro the Raider ripped his right sword from the chest of the Bublin he had just skewered, dragging some of the infernal creature's innards with him around the serrated indent on his wicked scimitar, and brought it up parallel to the left, decapitating the monster directly in front of him. The outlaw was yelling with abandon, filling his lungs and then emptying them, in an effort to both compel the focus of the Bublins and to throw them off their guard. It was the very same tactic that the monsters themselves often employed, and Dendro doubted that they would favor having it used against them.

Indeed, the short, hairy beast nearest him seemed to take offense and, breaking its charge, it abruptly rotated on Dendro, thinking to end the human's life. But Dendro, fully in control of the tempo, rolled his left blade right over the creature's clumsy thrust and burrowed the point of the scimitar into its ribcage while his sent his other sword clean through the creature's arm, set perpendicular to its chest in a vain attempt at defense, and into its abdomen. The creature, its dying breath erupting as a gurgling screech from its punctured lungs, collapsed to the ground and Dendro, yanking the blades free, started towards the caravan.

At least thirty Bublins had appeared over the knoll from the south, spilling out from some shadowed sanctuary, and they had fanned outwards into a circular formation to surround the halted wagons. The two that Dendro had killed represented only the lead scouts, those designed to move around the flank of the group and distract their attention from the main charge. How anyone could fail to notice the strident, piercing yowling of the monsters eclipsed Dendro's knowledge at that moment, and the Raider, still yelling wordlessly, could only marvel at the wit of the caravan leader.

Of far more concern, though, for Dendro could at least hazard a guess that the dozen hired guards could hold their own against the witless vermin, was the pair of Lizalfos that had sauntered over the Field's natural incline. They seemed to be coordinating the offensive, as much as the obtuse beasts could be directed, and Dendro understood at once that their elimination was principle in order to facilitate the scattering, and ultimate destruction, of the Bublins. To that end, Dendro started in their direction, but paused when he heard two sets of pounding hooves behind him.

Viczar reached Dendro first, sliding to a halt and popping up into the air, but Kade and his chestnut gelding were only two strides behind. Unconcerned that the bay stallion had no tack, Dendro sheathed one of his sanguine blades and vaulted onto Viczar's back. Eager for the fight, the stallion danced beneath him, tossing his head and straining to move forwards at the creatures.

"Be'ind 'em!" Dendro shouted to Kade. "Use yer magic!"

A fleeting look of concern crossed the Hylian's face, but Dendro ignored it. Wheeling Viczar around, he let the stallion launch into a canter and directed him towards the two Lizlfos and around the Bublins encircling the caravan.

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Riding the day, every day into sunsetFinding the way back homeOnce upon a night we'll wake to the carnival of lifeThe beauty of this ride ahead, such an incredible highIt's hard to light a candle easy to curse the dark insteadThis moment, the dawn of humanityLast ride of the day!Nightwish

Dendro the Raider had no pretence at secrecy. Even when not cantering his bay stallion across an open plain directly at his targets, he found that charging headlong into the fray, heedless of any demurring distractions, often served his purposes much better than skulking around corners. His talent and his success resided in quickly taking to the offensive, and Dendro was not about to change tactics given the numerical disadvantage he faced, though of course that did not concern him either. Using his seat alone to guide Viczar, Dendro unsheathed his second scimitar, his muscled body tensing for the strike that he would make. The Lizalfos, for their part, recognized the challenge and, swinging their crude weapons, rushed forward to meet him.

A sneer engulfed Dendro's face as he neared the creatures, and with a slight shift of his weight, Viczar abruptly veered right, dropping his left shoulder and ducking away from the monsters. At that moment, then, Dendro threw himself onto the creature, blades poised for its neck, and both of them, monster and outlaw, went crashing to the ground. The beast, however, recovered quicker than Dendro had anticipated, and, though bleeding profusely from its left arm, it slashed wildly with its sword and its tail, around the end of which was wrapped another blade.

Not missing a beat, Dendro parried the wild swing and leapt straight up, slicing downwards with his left blade as he went, severing the creature's tail. The Lizalfos howled, more emphatically as Dendro's boots crashed down on its abdomen, and it writhed frantically. At the same time, the second reptilian monster had moved around behind Dendro and, sensing an opportunity, hacked at him. Dendro started to backpedal, but the thrashing Lizalfos propelled him forward, its dying wails of agony sounding like knives down the Raider's spine. Staggering, Dendro threw up his left weapon to deflect the Lizalfos' attack and tried to drive the other towards the creature's ribcage.

His own momentum, though, nearly negated the attack, preventing him from gaining adequate room for the strike, so Dendro merely smacked his knee into the monster's groin. Dendro had the advantage now, and he knew it. Yelling raucously, he planted his feet and then surged ahead to use the opening he had created. Reeling, the Lizalfos brought it's blade up to defend its chest, only to find that Dendro had aimed higher than that. The tip of Dendro's right scimitar exploded through the exposed neck of the monster, and the outlaw grinned with morbid satisfaction.

Grabbling at the wound, the creature dropped its own blade and kicked at the human, but Dendro had yanked the blade free and recoiled even before it could slash at him again. Now spattered with blood, Dendro immediately moved to Viczar, who was standing nearby and observing with disinterest. For good measure, though, he stabbed his left blade into the chest of the first Lizalfos, as its incessant squawks, escalating in the final throws of death, infuriated him. Then, sneering again, Dendro leapt onto the stallion's back and rotated him back towards the caravan.

"Wonder if they be 'avin' any fun ye?" he asked. The guards appeared to be holding their own, but Dendro the Raider thought enough of himself to know that his intervention was required.

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Riding the day, every day into sunsetFinding the way back homeOnce upon a night we'll wake to the carnival of lifeThe beauty of this ride ahead, such an incredible highIt's hard to light a candle easy to curse the dark insteadThis moment, the dawn of humanityLast ride of the day!Nightwish

Seems like those ignorant fools might have a shred of sense after all, or at least one of them does. Pity it won't help 'em none in the end. Dendro, observing the entangled lines of Bublins and protectors of the caravan, grinned widely, sneering in the face those foolish enough to travel across Faron Field with so little protection. No concern entered his mind for the number of Bublins that had appeared, in broad daylight no less, nor for the Lizalfos who had apparently coordinated the attack. Instead, Dendro found himself preoccupied with silently championing his own superiority to the small merchant caravan. In their defense, they appeared to be holding their ground, at least for the moment, but Dendro did not imagine that they could completely conquer the horde without some sort of intervention.

With the two Lizalfos deceased, the Raider did not imagine that much incentive would be required to prompt the Bublins to flee, and so he drew the sword that he had sheathed, shouting again as he urged Viczar towards the line of creatures. So adept was Dendro at raising his voice over the din of battle and the bestial shrieks of the monsters, so convinced was he that he could break the Bublins' charge unassisted, that he never saw the Aeralfos.

The force of the impact blasted the air from Dendro's lungs, and darkness obscured the outlaw's vision even before the ground rushed up to meet him. Viczar, startled by the blow, scrambled to set his feet, so that, when Dendro landed several feet to his right, the stallion did not fall atop him. Jumping to his knees, Viczar lunged vengefully in the direction the Aeralfos, but the winged lizard had already launched into the air once more, circling around for a second strike.

Dendro, completely dazed, had only his instincts to thank when he rolled to the side, avoiding the dive of the monster by mere inches. The Aeralfos roared raucously, taunting Dendro as it ascended into the air. Shaking his head vigorously, Dendro then staggered to his feet and braced his remaining scimitar before his chest. The other lay several feet away, but he made no motion towards it, not while each breath felt like fire in his lungs. Holding his ground, he waited for the monster to attack a third time, but then heard a disturbance in the air behind him. Pivoting to his left, Dendro skirted the dive of a second Aeralfos, and then saw the first swooping down towards him.

"I've 'ad 'bou' enough o' ye!" Though he dodged the attack again, Dendro this time sliced upwards with his wicked weapon and managed to tear through the Aeralfos' right wing just as it unfurled it to ascend. Howling in rage, the monster crashed to the ground and rounded on the charging human. But Dendro found his advance truncated when the second Aeralfos came swooping down to intervene. With his momentum already carrying him into the strike, Dendro could only twist and angle the single blade defensively to absorb the shock of the blow. For a moment, Dendro thought he could maintain his footing, but then felt his balance disintegrating beneath the force of the attack. Rolling his left shoulder back, he attempted to disengage quickly, only to hear a rush of footsteps behind him.

Abandoning any attempt to deflect the second Aeralfos' strike, Dendro allowed himself to fall to the right and desperately twisted, though he was not nearly quick enough to prevent the thrust of the wounded monster from cutting him across the back. Swearing, Dendro tried to set his feet, but the Aeralfos did not hesitate. With its crude sword leading, it came at him in a rush. At once Dendro found himself set back on his heels, hardly able to keep pace with the monster's rapid strikes. Unused to both being on the defensive and fighting with only one blade, the Raider found himself pressed, with not even the time to draw his knife or his hatchet to at least guard his left side.

He knew the second Aeralfos would attack again, but the offensive of the one he had wounded was unrelenting. Most of its attacks were from overhead, and just when Dendro sensed an opportunity, the creature's shield came rushing in to destroy his hopes. The Raider attempted to compensate, bringing the scimitar slightly higher in an attempt to protect both sides of himself at once, but that only earned him a stinging hit from the Aeralfos' shield. As he reeled, it advanced quickly and again slashed downward with its slightly curved sword. Dendro threw up his own to block, only to realize that the pair of monsters had perfectly coordinated their offense.

Before he crashed to the ground, his right shoulder feeling as though it had been wrenched from its socket, Dendro fleetingly wondered what had delayed Kade.

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Riding the day, every day into sunsetFinding the way back homeOnce upon a night we'll wake to the carnival of lifeThe beauty of this ride ahead, such an incredible highIt's hard to light a candle easy to curse the dark insteadThis moment, the dawn of humanityLast ride of the day!Nightwish

Kade, though he found himself rather fond of the infamous attention inclusion in the Red Raiders earned him, did favor acting as the crux of a hastily contrived plan of action, particularly when it pitted him and Dendro against a horde of monsters. His skill with his hand-and-a-half sword, though adequate, had been proved altogether lacking at the hands of Duke Zalamoxis, and he had never learned proper control over his magic, and thus this course to him seemed an enormous gamble. Yet the young Hylian had never been one to completely shy from long odds, and so he had acted as Dendro had ordered and had brought his horse to a stop behind the Bublin lines.

While the monsters, rushing at the caravan and swinging their clubs and crude swords wildly, Kade had dismounted and, feeling several gnarled knots in his stomach, charged into their ranks. He did not announce himself as Dendro had done, but instead took advantage of the Bublins' distraction and let his sword lead him forward. Forcing himself to rely on his instincts, Kade, with the weapon in his left hand, thrust the blade forward and drove it high into the back of the first creature. Then, pulling it to the side, Kade yanked the sword free as he moved ahead, and quickly cut the next Bublin across its greenish back.

Yet after he had felled those first two unsuspecting monsters, those that surrounded it abruptly recognized this threat that had penetrated their tangled lines. Some skittered away from the Hylian, but the others soon encircled him. As Kade lunged to his right, stabbing the Bublin through its exposed chest, one to whom he had turned his back seized the opportunity and swung its heavy club, striking Kade on his right hip. Staggering back, he attempted to reset his feet, but the Bublins had tasted victory. One lunged at him, and Kade promptly struck it in the face with the pommel of the sword. Sensing another behind him, he allowed the motion to carry him towards the creature, and he immediately rotated to drive the blade through the midsection of the attacking monster.

But the Bublin had not charged alone, and Kade barely noticed the club of another aimed for his chest. Pivoting on his left foot, the Hylian managed to skirt the blow, only to have another strike him in the small of his back. Reeling, Kade stumbled forward and turned to face the creatures. Most of those in the vicinity had diverted their attention to him, which had been Dendro's goal, and had begun to stream away from the caravan where the hired guards had finally been able to repulse them. All at once, Kade understood that if he did not reach for the magic, then the frenzied creatures would offer him a more grisly fate than any he had yet to deliver to them.

When a knot of the monsters that surrounded him charged, Kade suddenly yanked up his right hand and tendrils of shadow erupted from his fingers, driving directly through the heads of the nearest Bublins. At the same time, shadow rushed down the length of his left arm and exploded outwards from his extended left hand, after he had dropped his sword. The manifestation, a literal hand of darkness, engulfed the Bublin before dissipating into nothing. The Bublins behind it skittered away, but not before a second hand had engulfed another. That site, of two of their own vanishing, scattered the monsters, and, those that had not been struck by the Hylian's magic disengaged and fled across the Field.

Kade, making no move to pursue them, dropped to his knees as the blood rushed from his head.

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Had he not been attempting to convince the Aeralfos of his own death, then Dendro the Raider surely would have grinned. With his auburn head turned in the direction of Kade, he had seen the Hylian unleash his power and watched as the panicked monsters fled. Similarly, that event gave the wounded Aeralfos, poised behind the outlaw, pause before it attempted to kill the downed human. Unfortunately for it, that brief distraction was all the opening that Dendro required. Vaulting to his feet, Dendro, with the scimitar in his left hand, drove the blade deep into its lungs. Wailing the creature failed and struck Dendro in the face before loss of blood stilled its movements.

Knowing the other avian reptile would rush to intervene, Dendro tried to shake the spots from his vision and brace himself, but as the Aeralfos rushed at him, Viczar abruptly crashed into the creature. Howling in rage, the Aeralfos rounded on the stallion, only to have Dendro's weapon plunge through the back of its ribcage. Yanking the blade free, Dendro let the creature fall, but not before Viczar had kicked it squarely in the face.

Again marveling at the bay stallion's propensity for battle, Dendro shook his head and gingerly went to retrieve his other scimitar.

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Riding the day, every day into sunsetFinding the way back homeOnce upon a night we'll wake to the carnival of lifeThe beauty of this ride ahead, such an incredible highIt's hard to light a candle easy to curse the dark insteadThis moment, the dawn of humanityLast ride of the day!Nightwish

Kade, struggling futilely against the darkness which rimmed his vision, was vaguely aware of the man who grasped his left arm and hauled him to his feet. The Hylian's chestnut head lolled back, for he had not the strength to hold it steady, but a measure of clarity returned when the man shook him. Bringing a hand to his face, Kade rubbed his eyes and, though his shoulders sagged, he managed to return himself to the present.

"Thanks," he muttered, still attempting to fathom the destruction he had wrought upon the Bublins.

The burly man snorted, waving one of his meaty hands as though in dismissal. "I should be thankin' you. Without you and your friend, those beasts might've had us."

The Hylian briefly wondered why the man, obviously the funder of this particular caravan, had not seen fit to hire more guards, but then decided such a thing was hardly relevant now. Glancing up, he saw that the other protectors of the caravan had encircled the area, picking through the Bublin corpses to ensure that all of the monsters had in fact perished. One of their own appeared to be seriously injured, judging by the volume of scarlet that stained the ground beneath him, but on the whole the squadron seemed to have survived intact.

"Didn't expect the beasts to descend upon us in broad daylight," remarked the leader of the group, looking over at Kade. The dark-haired man had finished wiping clean his vicious ax and then clambered to his feet, starting in Kade's direction.

"Then you mus' no' 'ave as much experience 'ere as you be thinkin'."

Something of a snicker flickered across Kade's angular features as Dendro the Raider drew his stallion to a halt on the outskirts of the caravan. The merchant owner of the wagons glanced at Kade with some concern, as though uncertain of what to make of the blood-spattered man.

The leader of the caravan's defenders stiffened and made no attempt to conceal his instant dislike for the Raider. "I reckon I've been out here enough to know the land," he responded.

Dendro started to remark snidely, until the owner intervened. "Gentlemen, please, let peace prevail," he pleaded, stepping away from Kade. "We owe these two our lives, Vandar, so show more respect."

The face of the commander, Vandar, contorted as though he was attempting to swallow something altogether unpleasant, yet he nevertheless stepped forward and offered both his hand and apologies to Dendro the Raider, which, of course, was exactly what Dendro had anticipated. Before Vandar could properly react, Dendro had spun around to the man's left and crossed both scimitars in front of his neck.

Instantly, the other soldiers defending the caravan started into motion, but Dendro, despite the pain in his right shoulder, merely pressured the edges of the wicked blades and drew blood from the man's neck. The soldiers halted at Vandar's upraised hand, and Dendro, with a look of victory adorning his weathered features, turned to the caravan's owner. "Now," he ordered, "As paymen' fer our good deed, ye bes' be givin' me tha' second wagon, or I'll 'ave 'is 'ead and set 'im loose on ye."

Stammering for a response, the surprised man abruptly looked back to Kade, whom Dendro had indicated. For his part, the Hylian had rearranged his expression into one of confidence, one that belied his exhaustion and conveyed his malevolent intentions to the merchant. The man then sucked in his breath and glanced back to Vandar, silently deliberating over the choice before him. He had no desire to part with his goods, naturally, yet he had also witnessed firsthand the power the Hylian could unleash. So slowly, reluctantly, he nodded.

"Excllen'," Dendro sneered, and he removed his blades from Vandar's neck, giving the man a shove for good measure. "An' ye can tell Hayden tha' the Red Raiders sen' their regards."

Within the hour, Dendro, now the owner of another wagon, had collected his three comrades from their leafy sanctuary and started northeast towards his destination, leaving the astonished members of the caravan seething in his wake.

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Riding the day, every day into sunsetFinding the way back homeOnce upon a night we'll wake to the carnival of lifeThe beauty of this ride ahead, such an incredible highIt's hard to light a candle easy to curse the dark insteadThis moment, the dawn of humanityLast ride of the day!Nightwish